12 great Star Wars gifts of 2017

It's a glorious time to be a Star Wars fan! We get a new movie every year, new books spanning so many different aspects of the universe, and an actual mountain of themed swag around every corner. So much Star Wars swag. In fact, it's a little too much if you're trying to buy something good for the Star Wars fan in your life. You can reach out in just about any direction of every store right now and find something with the Star Wars logo stamped on it, but if you're looking for the good stuff it can be a little intimidating.

This list should get you started down the right path. Everything here is stuff I've found worthy of the Force-sensitive people in your life, and there's a little something in here for everyone.

Life-size Porg plush

Puffin-guinea pig-penguins? Penguin-owl-possums? Whatever a Porg is, it's cute as hell. While there are many plushies out there, most just look weird because they're untextured. This one is the real deal, and for $30, it better be!

The best part? This floof talks! Just squeeze its tummy and it'll squeal just like in the movie! It also flaps its wings and moves its lips. IT'S ALIIIIIVE! You unfortunately can't change the batteries, but that won't make it any less cuddly when they die (the batteries, not the Porg).

R2-D2 Measuring Cup Set

Who says an Astreomech Droid can't be helpful around the kitchen? This kit is meant to sit out on the counter and look exactly like everyone's favorite helper, right until you need a cup of sugar. When that happens, you can disassemble this Droid into a whole bunch of different measuring utensils.

Aside from being a very reasonably priced at $28 when you consider how many measuring cups and spoons you get, it's a practical way to show off your Star Wars love in the kitchen.

Jedi Challenges AR

Start your Jedi training virtually! Only, unlike a VR headset, this AR headset lets you see the real world while you interact with a training hologram. This program splits your training up into multiple games, including lightsaber battles with famous Star Wars villains and actual HoloChess!

Propel Drones

Remote control toys that look like Star Wars vehicles aren't new by any stretch, and that includes flying toys that look like popular ships. Drones that can actually engage in combat with one another? That's new, and Propel brought them to life in spectacular fashion this year.

For $129, you can choose between Vader's Tie Advanced or the classic X-Wing, and these ships can actually play laser tag that ends in the loser "crashing" to the ground when it has taken the right number of hits. If you'd rather something a little closer to the ground, you can also grab one that looks like a Speeder Bike.

Sphero Droids

Sphero took the world by storm last year with its BB-8 droid that could putter around your room on its own when you weren't remote-controlling it. This year, there are several more to choose from and a lot of new features. BB-9E, a droid from The Last Jedi, is available alongside R2-D2 and R2-Q5. Among the new features, all of these droids will sit with you and watch the Star Wars movies, reacting to everything exciting or scary.

For $130, these droids offer a ton of fun and the designs are just plain great.

littleBits Inventor Kit

Toys are great, but creating something is an amazing feeling for any age. The littleBits Star Wars kit is designed to teach you how to make your own R2-D2, by helping you understand the tech inside and what it all does. When the kit is all assembed, you can use the littleBits app to teach R2-D2 new skills and send it out on missions.

There's a lot of tech in here for $99, and it's a fantastic intro to the educational world of littleBits tech.

Lego Death Star

It doesn't matter what age you are, the Lego Death Star is one of those things every geek covets. This $500 kit is massive, even by Lego standards, and is absolutely the kind of thing you will spend weeks working on.

It's clearly only for the most hardcore of Lego Star Wars fans, but the grin on their face when they open this gift from you will stretch from ear to ear.

Star Wars From a Certain Point of View

There are a lot of great Star Wars books out there, but this one is unlike all the others. If you've never read any of the From a Certain Point of View books, you should make this the first one. This is a collection of short stories from the Star Wars universe where the main themes we all know and remember are retold from the perspective of someone who is not the main character.

The paperback is only going to set you back $20, and this really should be on every Star Wars fans bookshelf.

Star Wars Battlefront II PlayStation 4 Pro

You don't have to be a hardcore Star Wars fan to enjoy the new Battlefront II game, but if you know a fan who has been looking to upgrade their PlayStation 4 you might consider this as a gift. It's a standard PlayStation 4 Pro on the inside, but the outside includes three beautiful graphics on the top of the console and matching symbols on the included controller.

This $450 bundle is already a decent price for the nice theme, and getting the copy of Battlefront II in the box with it is a nice addition. Just, you know, keep an eye out for loot boxes.

Millennium Falcon Multi-Tool

While not actually practical as a multi-tool you carry around and use every day — nothing replaces my Leatherman, sorry — this $30 kit will put a smile on the face of any Star Wars fan that is even the least bit handy.

The Falcon comes out the box looking like it has seen better days, and all of the included tools are actually functional. It's cute, and you'll probably try to use it a few times, but really this is something you'd rather have sitting on your workbench to bring a little geek into the shop.